Two Thumbs Up

Today Maddie and I did something I’ve been wanting to do for a long time – we went to a movie in an actual movie theatre. One of the local theatre chains around here sponsors Monday Morning Mommy Movies (alliteration doesn’t allow for nannies or daddies, I guess) just for parents and their babies. The sound isn’t as loud, the lights are low but not off, and it’s okay if your baby cries. I knew my friend Nanette would be there with her darling Em (they’re regulars), so I gathered up my friend Leslie, her new cutie Austin, and Brianne (the Auntie!) and off we went to see a talkie.

I wish I’d taken a picture of the strollers. Outside of our theatre was stroller parking, and there was probably close to 100 all lined up. Non-Mommy Movie goers all gasped when they saw the scene. It looked like the stroller section of Babies R Us had taken up residence in the hallway between cinemas. We were assured that someone on staff would be keeping an eye on the strollers the whole time. Inside our theatre, the cinema staff put out a table so babies could be changed without any part of the movie being missed.

This is going to sound stupid…but there were SO MANY BABIES! I know, DUH, right? I don’t know what I was expecting, but they were everywhere! And they were LITTLE. Fresh out of the oven babies as far as the eye could see. And they were all making their little noises. Just before the movie started I remembered how much I HATE IT when I’m in a noisy movie theatre. Luckily, the volume of the movie is just loud enough to make the baby noises a non-issue, but not so loud to cause baby noises.

Maddie is at the stage now where she just loooooves to look at other little kids, so I was a bit worried her head might explode. Because he is only two months old, it was the first time Maddie met Austin. When she saw him, she pointed to him, raised her eyebrows and said, “BEEEE!” Which, you know, means, “Why mother, I do declare that there is a baby of the male variety!” She loved pointing at Austin and the other babies.

Luckily, she settled down to watch the cinematic masterpiece that was this week’s movie, Bride Wars. It’s definitely not going to win any Oscars, but it was a good film to have on in the background while I watched Maddie watch the movie. She was SO good, perfectly happy to look at the screen from her own seat or on one of our laps. There were only a few times when she looked around or tried to stand, and that was because some of the other babies near us were fussing. She was very concerned by their crying. Or maybe she was irritated by their noise.

I hate noisy movies, too but as someone who just will not go out with kids that age due to not wanting to disrupt others, the idea sounds grand. to be able to see a movie without having to wrangle my husband and a sitter? Worth the noise.

I can’t believe I live in baby making central and we don’t have this here.

What a fantastic idea. I haven’t been to a movie since Maya was born. I wonder if we have something like that around here? Maya and I could totally go for a girl’s morning out to the theater to watch a good chick flick!

I’m glad Maddie made it through! It’s such a great experience. I wish they’d do it on the weekends, too, for when I go back to work.

I won’t be attending Mall Cop, the next Mommy Movie, but I DO want to see the Drew Barrymore movie that’s showing after that, if you’re interested. My beloved Harry Connick Jr. is co-starring. He’s dreeeeeamy. 😉